BBC One - New Tricks - Gerry Standing Read more about sharing. Gerry Standing Totally un-PC, Gerry seems to be stuck in the '70s - not only in how he approaches the job, but also how he behaves socially. Fact title Ex Detective Sergeant; Member of UCOS Played by Dennis Waterman UCOS legend Gerry Standing solves the Met’s unsolved crimes alongside Steve McAndrew and Danny Griffin , under the watchful eye of his boss Sasha Miller . Having been at UCOS the longest, Gerry has his own way of doing things and sometimes seems stuck in the 70s, although he is well-respected by his team: he’s straight talking, totally un-PC and gets the job done, no matter what. This series opens with an explosive two-parter in which Gerry is forced to come face to face with the ghosts of his past. Things start to get nasty when one of London’s biggest crime families steps in to halt Gerry’s investigation and he becomes embroiled in a dangerous game of cat and mouse across London as he fights to clear his name. View Programme information Dennis Waterman Dennis began his career in the late fifties, when he was still at school.

One of his early roles included playing the title role in the 1962 series William. Later in the sixties he appeared in a movie version of Up the Junction and in sci-fi series Journey to the Unknown. Two TV roles in particular made him a familiar face on television, namely hard guy George Carter in The Sweeney (1975-1978), and cheerful lad Terry McCann in Minder (1979-1989). Both roles were as half of a double-act - with John Thaw's DI Jack Reagan in The Sweeney, and George Cole's Arthur Daley in Minder. In 1986, he starred in The Life and Loves of a She Devil, a dark adaptation of Fay Weldon's novel. He played Bobbo, the adulterous husband of Ruth, played by Julie T. Wallace. After Minder, Dennis starred in two series set on similar ground. In drama Stay Lucky (1989) he played wide-boy Thomas Glynn, alongside Leslie Ash. A year later, he played East End millionaire Tony Carpenter in sitcom On the Up, which also starred Sam Kelly and Joan Sims. Dennis sang the closing theme.

To add to his diverse portfolio, Dennis has also appeared in The Miller's Tale alongside James Nesbitt and Billie Piper and played sports commentator Frank Costello in three-part BBC drama Moses Jones. Gerald Standing I | New Tricks Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia Gerry Standing was the last remaining member of the original UCOS team and is therefore the longest serving member overall - Jack Halford left in A Death In The Family , Brian Lane left in The Little Brother and Sandra Pullman , their former leader, left in The One That Got Away . None of the new team had that many episodes either, as Steve McAndrew made 36 appearances . Hannah Waterman, Dennis Waterman's real-life daughter, portrays Standing's surrogate daughter, Emily Driscoll . Dennis Waterman and his on-screen counterpart, Gerry Standing, have coincidentally each been divorced three times. One of his nicknames is "Last Man Standing", as he was the only person in his old squad to not be bought out by gangster, Bobby Small. [25] It is a coincidence that this nickname ties in to him being the last remaining member from the original team. This nickname would later be used as the title for his final episode .

He claims the worst time in his life was when he was sent to Coventry - he hated it so much that he put in a request to transfer to VICE. He worked under DCI Karen Hardwick , who he attempted to flirt with on her first day, during his time at the Pedophile Unit. [26] Dennis Waterman very nearly decided to leave New Tricks in 2013 after his co-workers did the same, but later decided to stay because he enjoyed it so much. [27] He would later decide to leave at the start of Series 12 in 2015. He is allergic to Granola cereal. [28] Standing inherited Jack Halford 's desk at UCOS upon his resignation - he would later justify this by claiming to be "the most senior member" for the team. [29] The first time he went to Scotland was on 14th February 1973 to attend the England VS Scotland rugby game, England won 5-0. It was almost 40 years later that he would return to Scotland to help set up Glasgow UCOS .

[30] He has clear signs of feeling insecure about being abondoned - examples include his friends leaving him in the woods when he was a young boy [31] , getting divorced three times [32] , acting hostile towards Steve McAndrew [33] , Danny Griffin [34] and Sasha Miller [35] on their respective first days and becoming paranoid that, with Jack and Brian gone, he is next on the list to go. [36] . He has Hylophobia, a fear of woods and forests. [37] [38] [39] In 2013, Steve recommended him to a psychiatrist where he discovered the reason behind it was down to his friends abandoning him in a forest when he was a young boy. His unpaid tax bill amounts to £17,433 as of 2012 - it would seem that Whitehall are aware of this, but do not care enough to pursuit, due to Stephen Fisher using it as a means of blackmail. [40] He strongly disapproves of pet funerals and is disgusted when he finds out Brian is having one for his recently deceased dog, Scruffy.

[41] He is officially declared deceased however this was faked by DAC Robert Strickland in an attempt to give Standing a clean slate. He is now residing in the United States. After blowing up his iconic Triumph Stag to aid in faking his death, he purchased a red Ford Mustang (it was also from the same era as its predecessor). Dennis Waterman to leave New Tricks Dennis Waterman to leave New Tricks The actor, who plays Gerry Standing in the BBC1 crime drama, will exit in autumn 2015 ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW By David Brown Friday 19 September 2014 at 4:50PM Actor Dennis Waterman is to exit New Tricks next year. The 66-year-old, who plays Gerry Standing in the BBC1 crime drama, will leave part-way through the 12th series, which is due to be screened in 2015. "There are another 10 episodes that they are going to start filming in November and he will be in two of them. So he will be filming with them until the New Year but then that will be it," Waterman's agent Derek Webster told the Daily Mirror .

"Dennis misses the old crew, the original line-up. The chemistry between them on the set was remarkable. It's difficult to get chemistry like that on set and being on the show with new cast members now just isn't quite the same." Production company Wall to Wall confirmed that Waterman - the last remaining member of the drama's starting line-up - would be departing: "We’d like to thank Dennis for all his years of loyal service to Ucos and wish him the very best for the future," CEO Leanne Klein said. "Viewers won’t be saying goodbye to Dennis until autumn 2015, so there will be plenty of time to enjoy the slightly unorthodox antics of his character Gerry Standing." New Tricks began life in 2003 with series star Amanda Redman in charge of a line-up of superannuated former cops played by Waterman and co-stars James Bolam and Alun Armstrong. In recent series, the team of cold-case crimesolvers has consisted of Tamzin Outhwaite, Denis Lawson and Nicholas Lyndhurst, with Dennis Waterman the one link to that original cast.

Mr Webster stressed that there had been no on-set arguments, but that Waterman felt that now was the right time to leave: "I'm not saying there has been a big falling out or anything but the original team worked together for 10 years, so it was always going to be a bit strange when people started leaving. All of the other leading cast members decided the time was right for them to leave one by one, and now Dennis has decided it is his time to go." BBC - Drama - New Tricks Characters Gerry Standing Gerry Standing Gerry Standing Totally un-PC, Standing seems to be stuck in the seventies, not only in how he approaches the job, but also how he behaves socially. “The funny thing about Gerry is that he has this persona of a jack-the-lad character,” says actor Dennis Waterman, “But really his chasing skirt days are pretty much over. He may have an eye for the ladies but you don't really see him constantly pursuing them.

And despite having three ex-wives he is actually on good terms with all of them and makes it work as a family." In fact while Gerry Standing may not be regarded as much of a new man, he is something of a domestic goddess in the kitchen, cooking meals for his extended family and his colleagues at UCOS. "Yes, now that really is good character acting because I haven't got a clue in the kitchen and don't know anything about cooking." Warming to the food theme, Dennis recalls filming at Tower Bridge and a scene involving the four of them eating jellied eels. "It did take me on a bit of a trip down memory lane, because my dad used to bring home jellied eels as treat after the dog racing. And they were horrible. I've never liked them since. But when we filmed those scenes, I actually thought they were quite nice. I suppose your tastes change." Another trip down memory lane for Dennis was watching the acclaimed BBC One drama Life on Mars: "We really enjoyed it.

It did take me back to The Sweeney days - they even had a brown Granada car like we had." Dennis is delighted by the response to New Tricks, "I think it’s great that the show manages to appeal to viewers from both ends of the spectrum and is enjoyed by my generation and my kid's generation. It's funny, because now I get recognised in the street for my character in New Tricks rather than The Sweeney or Minder." NEW TRICKS . . . AND NEW FACES: HOW TO MANAGE CHARACTER TRANSITIONS IN SERIES TV by Richard Hewett There’s been quite a bit of trending lately on Facebook about saving the BBC. I’ve done my fair bit of sharing a picture of the wonderful David... See more NEW TRICKS . . . AND NEW FACES: HOW TO MANAGE CHARACTER TRANSITIONS IN SERIES TV by Richard Hewett Tweet Printable version Friday 13 September 2013 Last updated at 07:29 Aside of devising plotlines engaging enough to both maintain core audiences and entice new viewers, there can be few greater challenges to a television production team than the unexpected departure of regular cast members.

The need to fill the resulting character void requires both the reassurance of the familiar and the creative spark of the new, and otherwise invulnerable prime-time programmes can stand or fall as a result of the choices made. TV history is littered with shows whose character transitions have consequently seen them wither instantaneously on the vine (witness Charlie Sheen’s arrival in Spin City (ABC, 1996-2002)) or, at best, struggle to retain their key audience (ditto his departure from Two and a Half Men (CBS, 2003- )). Last month the tenth series of crime drama New Tricks (BBC, 2003- ) launched on British screens. Based round the Metropolitan Police’s Unsolved Crime and Open Case Squad (UCOS), the programme’s central conceit is that a trio of retired, dyed-in-the-wool male detectives and their no-nonsense female boss repeatedly prove more adept at catching felons than their dismissive younger counterparts.

Despite reaching domestic audiences of over nine million, and achieving extremely healthy overseas sales, the series received little press attention until last year, when major upheavals in the regular line-up – combined with very public cast criticisms of scripts – finally provided a hook upon which the popular press felt able hang a story. These developments were all the more significant for the fact that the core cast had remained in place for eight whole years – an impressive feat for any drama, but all the more so given that the show was allegedly not expected to run beyond its feature-length pilot in 2003. An opening series of six, one-hour episodes was, nonetheless, commissioned, subsequently expanded to eight episodes from series two and ten episodes from series seven, by which time the programme was averaging eight million viewers.

The original line-up, which helped create and maintain this momentum, consisted of: Amanda Redman as ambitious career Detective Superintendent Sandra Pullman, side-lined into launching UCOS after accidentally shooting a dog in a hostage rescue; James Bolam as Ex-Detective Chief Superintendent Jack Halford, Pullman’s former mentor, who retired from the force when his wife Mary was fatally injured in a hit-and-run; Alun Armstrong as ex-Detective-Inspector Brian ‘Memory’ Lane, a recovering alcoholic with continuing mental health issues, deemed negligent following the death in custody of a young drug dealer arrested on his watch; and Dennis Waterman as ex-Detective Sergeant Gerry Standing, who left the force following allegations of corruption. The original line-up: (left to right) James Bolam, Amanda Redman, Dennis Waterman and Alun Armstrong Aside of the inevitable observations on ageing and ageism, the series featured characters whose individual quirks offered plenty of potential for the story arcs now virtually de rigueur in long-running series, which were subsequently exploited with varying degrees of success.

Sandra’s initial situation – the driven female professional who has sacrificed any kind of personal life to succeed in the job – was not really pursued beyond a desultory romance in the first year, discarded in favour of an on-going plotline concerning the mysterious suicide of her police officer father, and Sandra’s fractious relationship with mother Grace (Sheila Hancock). Similarly, Brian’s obsession with proving his innocence was seemingly abandoned after the opening episodes, his continuing struggle with depression proving a more fruitful area; a return to the bottle later formed the backdrop to series five. The fact that Gerry was often shown in the company of villains initially saw a shadow still lingering over his reputation, though by series four it was revealed that the nickname ‘Last Man Standing’ in fact referred to his refusal to accept bribes. Arguably the most narratively satisfying strand was that of Jack Halford, frequently shown in early episodes discussing cases with the deceased Mary, whose candle-lit grave was situated in his back garden. The cliff-hanger ending to series three saw Jack attempting to mow down his nemesis, villain Ricky Hanson (David Troughton), after discovering that he had deliberately targeted Mary in the hit-and-run to distract the dogged Halford from his investigations.

This particular plotline continued on and off for a further three years, Hanson attempting to murder Jack and winning an acquittal in court before finally being brought to justice in the show’s sixth year. Various ancillary characters were introduced en route, many of them becoming semi-regulars. Prime among these was Brian’s long-suffering wife, Esther (played by Bolam’s real-life spouse Susan Jameson), along with the team’s stiff-necked superior, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Robert Strickland (Anthony Calf), who made his debut in series two. Gerry’s numerous ex-wives and daughters also became familiar faces over the first few years, and in series three Waterman’s real-life daughter Hannah was introduced as Emily Driscoll, a young police officer who (erroneously) believes Gerry to be her long-lost father. In this way New Tricks developed an extended complement of characters and story strands that never overwhelmed the stand-alone episodic nature of individual instalments. Although, as already mentioned, cliff-hangers were occasionally employed for series finales, it was the audience’s familiarity with and affection for the lead characters which seemingly brought them back, week after week.

Though little heed was paid by TV critics, [1] New Tricks regularly managed audiences of five million even for repeat screenings. This all changed in 2011, however. No sooner had the BBC announced that the ‘dream team’ had signed for a further two years than Bolam had second thoughts, allegedly claiming the series had grown ‘stale’ . Although he was persuaded to return for the opening instalment of series nine, providing Jack with a definitive screen send-off, his replacement with Denis Lawson as ex-Detective Inspector Steve McAndrew marked the gradual break-up of the original regular cast; a process that has continued this year with the departures of Brian Lane and, next week, Sandra Pullman. The production team’s handling of this potential crisis has, however, proven an object lesson in managing character transitions; a task that, if mishandled, can too easily sound the death knell for the show in question. This year saw the end of Being Human (BBC, 2008-13) following the conclusion of its fifth series; the first not to feature any of the original trio.

At the same time, Silent Witness (BBC, 1996- ) continued its inexorable run in an incredible sixteenth series, despite numerous changes of regular cast (interestingly, the programme was the brainchild of former murder squad detective Nigel McCrery, co-creator with Roy Mitchell of New Tricks). The end of the beginning: (left to right) Denis Lawson, Waterman, Redman and Armstrong The departure of leading actors can be dealt with in various ways. Re-casting the character played is perhaps a more palatable concept in sitcom and soap than series drama, though how truly successful such an option can ever hope to be is open to question. Despite having arguably provided the more sympathetic portrayal, as a teen I never fully warmed to Dick Sargent as Darrin Stephens in Channel 4’s repeats of Bewitched (ABC, 1964-72); for me, Dick York was the original, and therefore the best (though Sargent was apparently the producers’ preferred choice from the outset).

Similarly, the season eight substitution of Donna Reed for Barbara Bel Geddes as Miss Ellie in Dallas (CBS, 1978-91) did little for that show’s credibility – particularly when Bel Geddes returned the following year, sparking a law suit from Reed. Nevertheless, New Tricks took this option with the team’s original supremo, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Donald Bevan, played by Tim Woodward in the pilot before Nicholas Day took over for series one. This character’s chief function – the resentful superior, ever concerned with appearances, who appeared once an episode to bawl the team out – meant there was little narrative impact when he departed (off-screen) between series one and two, new boss Strickland providing a more rounded and fully realised authority figure for the team to rail against. Deciding the nature of a new character is particularly problematic; the new arrival will in a certain sense be filling the gap left by their predecessor, yet making the replacement too similar runs the risk of unfavourable comparisons being drawn.

In the US, M*A*S*H (CBS, 1972-83) survived a plethora of line-up changes, beginning with the (on-screen) departure of Colonel Henry Blake (McLean Stevenson), who was killed off at the end of season three. Actor Wayne Rogers, who played Trapper John, then also opted not to return, his character being transferred home just prior to the season four opener. The new commanding officer, Colonel Potter (Harry Morgan), was a marked contrast to Henry, being a strict disciplinarian and long-time military man, as opposed to a laid-back and ineffectual conscript. However, Trapper’s replacement, B.J. Hunnicutt (Mike Farrell), was, like his predecessor, a married man who missed his family back home; although more faithful to his spouse than Trapper had been, he arguably acted as little more than a cipher, dutifully filling the role of side-kick to the wise-cracking ‘Hawkeye’ Pierce (Alan Alda). It was in fact the limitations of his part part that had ultimately prompted Wayne Rogers to leave, and several fans complained that B.J.

represented no more than a milder, less engaging version of Trapper, the changeover having frequently been cited as a downturn on ‘jump the shark’ websites and polls . With James Bolam’s departure from New Tricks a given, the writing out of Jack Halford cleverly avoided this pitfall by allowing both viewers and the on-screen characters to acclimatise to his absence. In the series nine opener, ‘A Death in the Family’, Jack announces that he is leaving UCOS and retiring to France, where he and Mary had always intended to spend their twilight years. Sandra and Gerry reluctantly accept his decision, surmising from his frequent and secretive phone calls to one Elizabeth Green that he has found a new partner. The obsessional Brian, however, digs deeper, discovering that Elizabeth Green is in fact the name of a hospice; Jack is suffering from terminal cancer. In the closing scene, Jack asks Brian to keep his secret, at least until he has passed on – to which the latter reluctantly agrees. Over the next two episodes, the team labour on as a trio, with Brian the primary point of audience identification; each are now party to information of which Sandra and Gerry are not aware.

When Steve McAndrew arrives in the fourth episode, it is at first seen as a temporary situation, the Scottish ex-detective having travelled south to tie up a missing person case with which he is personally involved. Whisky-loving Steve is clearly designed as a strong contrast with world-weary widower Jack; rather than another dour detective, senior in both years and rank, Steve is a still-youthful, energetic sixty-something. He is also handily provided with his own potential character arc, his wife having disappeared with their son following her affair with a fellow officer. This is, however, kept largely in the background during his early episodes, the main plotline being his gradual acceptance by the team. Whereas Steve quickly bonds with fellow hard drinker Gerry, and is easily accepted by Sandra (who seemingly invites him to join on a whim, not even consulting Strickland), Brian initially resents the newcomer – thus acting once again as a surrogate for the audience. Only when Esther gives Brian (and us?) a stern talking-to, extending a ‘getting to know you’ dinner invitation to Steve, does Brian begin to warm to his new colleague.

This slow segue was possibly the best manner in which to handle the first of the series’ major cast changes, but the announcement that both Armstrong and Redman would be leaving by the end of series ten presented a double challenge. The gradual fading out of the old and in with the new would be difficult to accommodate, even over ten episodes – yet the sudden removal of two characters at a single stroke might prove more than the series could survive (witness George and Nina in Being Human; seemingly ready to carry on the good fight sans Mitchell at the conclusion of series three, and each gone within the space of the next episode). Brian’s departure was clearly signalled in the first scene of series ten, assaulting senior fellow officer Bill Embleton at the latter’s retirement party. This event set into play a cleverly-conceived revival of Brian’s guilt over the drug dealer who died while technically in his care. Convinced that his then-subordinate Embleton, who should have been checking the dead man’s cell, fabricated his alibi with fellow officers, Brian’s attack is contrived to force a re-investigation.

When Embleton opts to avoid exposure by dropping his charges, Brian secretly tapes his off-the-record admission that he did not check up on the dead man, and then passes this evidence on to the mother of the dead man – thus sowing the seeds of Embleton’s exposure and Brian’s removal from the force. Brian’s final episode sees him now fired from UCOS, only crossing paths with the team when the private investigation he has reluctantly undertaken overlaps with their current case. After taking an affectionate farewell of his colleagues (significantly, Steve is not included in the penultimate shot of Brian walking into the horizon with his ex-colleagues), Brian is last shown at home assisting Esther, who has discovered a passion for amateur sleuthing. While perhaps somewhat contrived, this ‘happy’ resolution provides the audience with a satisfying conclusion to Brian’s tenure, particularly when compared to the downbeat nature of Jack’s departure the previous year. No similar period of mourning is necessary, and indeed, Brian’s replacement arrives in short order the following week, Nicholas Lyndhurst making his debut as ex-Murder Squad detective Danny Griffin.

The current line-up: (left to right) Waterman, Lawson, Redman and Nicholas Lyndhurst Like Steve, Danny is clearly intended as a direct contrast with his predecessor. The casting of Lyndhurst – who many viewers will remember primarily for his sitcom roles – could have been a cause for concern, Dennis Waterman admitting in a Radio Times interview that he was worried the new arrival would be ‘too lightweight’ until watching his performance as Uriah Heep in David Copperfield (BBC, 1999). In fact, Lyndhurst plays against any such expectations as the unsmiling Danny; though Brian was an oddball, he inspired an affection in his colleagues that Danny (at first) seems unable or uninterested in replicating. Quickly locking horns with Gerry, he also alienates Sandra with his ‘nine to five’ attitude, while his lack of humour sees him nicknamed ‘smiling boy’ by Steve. In this way the writing team again hold up a mirror to any potential resentment on the part of viewers at home – before cleverly undercutting it.

Gerry’s protestation that 52-year-old Danny is too young to replace the sixty-something Brian is immediately deflated by Sandra’s revelation that it was in fact Brian who recommended him; the implication here is that, if familiar face Brian rates Danny, then surely Gerry (and we) must give him a chance. Danny’s seemingly antiseptic personality is then revealed to be a mask when, midway through the episode, we see him at home with his feisty daughter, Holly (Storme Toolis), who is confined to a wheelchair. While this could be seen as a particularly cynical move by the programme-makers – engaging audience sympathy for the character by providing him with disabled offspring – the strong chemistry between Lyndhurst and Toolis mitigates this effect, the latter’s engaging performance providing a likeable new sounding board figure in lieu of Esther. It would have been a daring strategy to have the rest of the team remain unaware to this aspect to Danny for a period of time, thus placing the audience more firmly on the newcomer’s side, but by the episode’s close Holly has been introduced to the team, and all starts to become reassuringly clear; this new boy is not such a bad sort after all.

Thus, the unenviable feat of replacing the (one might have thought) irreplaceable James Bolam and Alun Armstrong seems to have been achieved with minimal disruption or complaint; certainly, at well over 7 million viewers, New Tricks’s audience figures remain healthy. Whether Amanda Redman’s imminent exit will prove one change too many, however, remains to be seen. Thus far, little is known about the manner of her leaving, or indeed her replacement, Detective Chief Inspector Sacha Millard (Tamzin Outhwaite), who takes charge from episode nine. Outhwaite’s casting is not without its problems, the actress having appeared in the show in a separate role, as obsessive tennis mother Victoria Kemp, just last year. Readers of my prequels blog might remember my reservations over the re-employment of actors in different roles, which I believe is potentially damaging to the credibility of any narrative; a situation that New Tricks has thus far avoided. More importantly, at the age of 42, the conventionally attractive blonde Outhwaite is exactly the same age that conventionally attractive blonde Sandra Pullman was way back in the original pilot ten years ago.

Thus, after the creation of two replacement characters that have very much gone against the grain of their more established predecessors, Sacha Millard superficially risks falling into the trap of replication and repetition; a mistake that many felt M*A*S*H made with B.J. Given their track record with regard to managing such transitions, however, it is to be hoped that the New Tricks production team will once again wrong-foot expectations. New face: Tamzin Outhwaite While British television is littered with programmes that survived similar line-up changes (Spooks (BBC, 2002-2011), anyone?), few battled away for so long with the original cast still intact. However, the fact that the Tricksters’ closest competitor, Taggart (STV, 1983-2011), managed an additional seventeen years following the death of original lead Mark McManus suggests that there might just be life in the Old Dogs yet. Dr Richard Hewett teaches television and film at Royal Holloway, the University of London, and the University of Arts.

His PhD thesis, Acting for Auntie: From Studio Realism to Location Realism in BBC Television Drama, 1953-2008, was completed at the University of Nottingham in 2012. Publications include 'Acting in the New World: Studio and Location Realism in Survivors' in The Journal of British Cinema and Television Volume 10.2, and 'Who is Matt Smith?: Performing the Doctor' in O'Day, Andrew (ed.), The Eleventh Hour: A Critical Celebration of the Matt Smith and Steven Moffat Era (I.B. Tauris, forthcoming, 2013). [1] Alison Graham’s recent article ‘The New Tricks Men Should Go for Women of Their Own Age’ is a typical example of the press’s dismissive attitude towards the programme, and makes it clear that Graham has not been watching with any degree of attention over the last decade.

Decrying Gerry for too often ‘oozing torrents of leathery charm in the direction of women who could, chronologically, be his daughter,’ she ignores the fact that, on the comparatively few occasions that Gerry has been given a romantic sub-plot, it has most frequently featured partners near or of his own age. Gerry Standing | New Tricks | Drama Channel Gerry Standing Tweet Dennis Waterman as Standing ‘Jack the lad’ Standing changed his name from Lestade after falling out with his father, a Smithfield Market butcher. He mixes well with criminals, which conflicts with his reputation as a top ‘thief-taker’. Standing has been forced to strongly refute claims he has taken backhanders and once punched a superior officer, as a result. His new status as a grandfather doesn’t seem to have changed his laddish ways. Standing is played by Dennis Waterman Dennis has had a career spanning five decades, from early roles as Just William on TV and as the title role in the West End production of the musical Oliver! to starring roles in The Sweeney and Minder in the 70s and 80s.

He’s also known for singing the theme tune to a number of his shows, including Minder, Stay Lucky and New Tricks. David Walliams famously lampooned this fact in Little Britain. Want to hear more from us? Enter your email below to hear more from Drama. Email Sign up By signing up to our newsletter you are agreeing to our Terms and Conditions and confirm you are over 18. Previous newsletters can be viewed within the newsletter archive . New Tricks Episodes New Tricks Episodes Season 11 There is now only one left of the original Unsolved Crime and Open Case Squad: Gerry Standing, portrayed by Dennis Waterman. The rest of the team have changed – even the leader, the ambitious DS Sandra Pullman (Amanda Redman), left in the last series, replaced by DCI Sasha Miller, played by Tamzin Outhwaite. The other squad members are Steve McAndrew (Denis Lawson) and Dan Griffin (Nicholas Lyndhurst). Season 10 After a hostage rescue goes wrong, superintendent Sandra Pullman is put in charge of unsolved crimes. With little resources and no back-up she decides to recruit three ex policeman. However times have changed, unlike her new recruits.

Jack Halford is yet to get over the loss of his wife, Brian Lane is over obsessed and over medicated, and Gerry Standing is not quite the ladies man he used to be. They may have the experience but it's not like the old days. Not only are they chasing criminals, but they are having to deal with a new police force which does not always appreciate their old style policing. Season 9 Detective Superintendent Sandra Pullman heads The Unsolved Crime and Open Case Squad (UCOS), cracking previously unsolved crimes from the past. Her team are ex policemen who have opted for early retirement. In series nine Jack Halford deals a devastating blow to UCOS - he's quitting. But before the team can question the reasons behind his decision and persuade him to stay, shadowy Whitehall Intelligence figure Stephen Fisher arrives with one of his secret cases, the unsolved murder of a woman dating back 100 years. UCOS have just 24 hours to solve it. Season 8 Brian Lane, Jack Halford and Gerry Standing may be eccentric, ignore procedure, bend the rules and take risks, but they get results.

Series 8 sees them opening the files on the death of a senior palaeontologist at the Natural History Musuem, the hit and run of a cycle courier, the murder of a vagrant on a tube train, a missing scientist who disappeared on the London to Paris Eurostar and the murder of the leader of a notorious criminal biker gang. Among the guest stars appearing in the series are Sheila Hancock, Keith Allen, Peter Davison, Tim McInnerny, Rebecca Front, Sally Phillips, Paul McGann, Shaun Williamson and Emily Glenister. The team also face their own personal dilemmas with Brian suspecting wife Esther of having an affair, Sandra questioning her role at UCOS, Jack struggling to deal with his own emotions during the hit and run case and Gerry back on the dating scene -older, but not wiser. Season 7 James Bolam, Alun Armstong, and Dennis Waterman are old dogs trying to learn some new tricks. The veteran actors team up in this new police drama playing retired detectives with wildly different personalities who are recalled to duty to form a special unit investigating unsolved crimes. However, their tried-and-tested ways of solving crimes don't always mesh with 21st-century policing.

Amanda Redman also stars as the unit's reluctant commander, assigned to the team after an embarrassing incident halted her ambitious career plans. Needing to redeem herself in the eyes of her superiors, she runs a tight ship -- and that leads to clashes with the very unconventional older trio whom she commands. Season 6 After a hostage rescue goes wrong, superintendent Sandra Pullman is put in charge of unsolved crimes. With little resources and no back-up she decides to recruit three ex policeman. However times have changed, unlike her new recruits. Jack Halford is yet to get over the loss of his wife, Brian Lane is over obsessed and over medicated, and Gerry Standing is not quite the ladies man he used to be. They may have the experience but it's not like the old days. Not only are they chasing criminals, but they are having to deal with a new police force which does not always appreciate their old style policing.

Dennis Waterman quits New Tricks after 11 series: 'He misses the old team', his agent says - Mirror Online TV Dennis Waterman quits New Tricks after 11 series: 'He misses the old team', his agent says The 66-year-old actor will only appear in two episodes of the 12th series which will begin filming later this year Share Dennis Waterman in New Tricks (Photo: BBC) Share Get celebs updates directly to your inbox + Subscribe Thank you for subscribing! Could not subscribe, try again laterInvalid Email Dennis Waterman has quit the hit TV crime show New Tricks after admitting he "missed the old team”. Waterman, 66, is the only remaining original cast member of the popular BBC One drama - currently in its 11th series - which also stars Nicholas Lyndhurst and Tamzin Outhwaite. Dennis' agent Derek Webster confirmed he would only appear in the first two episodes of the forthcoming 12th series of New Tricks. He said: "Dennis has decided to quit New Tricks. There are another 10 episodes that they are going to start filming in November and he will be in two of them.

"So he will be filming with them until the New Year but then that will be it. "Dennis misses the old crew, the original line-up. The chemistry between them on the set was remarkable. Dennis with his new co-stars Tamzin Outhwaite and Nicholas Lyndhurst (Photo: BBC) "It's difficult to get chemistry like that on set and being on the show with new cast members now just isn't quite the same. "I'm not saying there has been a big falling out or anything but the original team worked together for 10 years, so it was always going to be a bit strange when people started leaving. "All of the other leading cast members decided the time was right for them to leave one by one, and now Dennis has decided it is his time to go." A spokesperson for production company Wall To Wall Television confirmed Waterman's departure to Mirror TV. "We’d like to thank Dennis for all his years of loyal service to UCOS and wish him the very best for the future," CEO Leanne Klein said.

"Viewers won’t be saying goodbye to Dennis until autumn 2015, so there will be plenty of time to enjoy the slightly unorthodox antics of his character Gerry Standing.” New Tricks began as a one-off episode, broadcast in March 2003, following a team or retired police officers who attempt to crack unsolved crimes. But after proving popular with the British public the TV comedy-drama was commissioned by the BBC for six episodes. Dennis misses working with Amanda Redman (Photo: REX) The original cast featured Waterman, Alun Armstrong, James Bolam and Amanda Redman. The actor even sings the theme tune for the show, which has an average of nine million viewers. The original cast members have now been replaced by Denis Lawson, Nicholas Lyndhurst and Tamzin Outhwaite. It is not yet known who will replace Waterman, or whether he will be replaced for series 12 of the show. His agent added that Dennis did not yet have any new projects in the pipeline but was keen to get his teeth sunk into something different. Like this? Did you know we have a dedicated TV and Film page on Facebook? Like us on Facebook Most Read Most Recent Most Read Most Recent

Question: Who plays ex-policeman 'Gerry Standing' in 'New Tricks'?
Answer: DENIS WATERMAN